made many objections, saying, that it possibly might be a good scheme for Fox, his friends, and relations; but that for his own part it did not answer his purposes." There is much truth also in the following remarks which he made to Lord Waldegrave, on the difficulties in forming a ministry. "His Majesty heard every thing I said with great patience; and answered with some cheerfulness, that according to my description, his situation was not much to be envied; but he could assure me it was infinitely more disagreeable than I represented it." "That we were, indeed, a very extraordinary people, continually talking of our constitution, laws, and liberty. That as to our constitution, he allowed it to be a good one, and defied any man to produce a single instance wherein he had exceeded his proper limits." p. 132. "That as to our laws, we passed near a hundred every session, which seemed made for no other purpose, but to afford us the pleasure of breaking them." p. 133 Lord Waldegrave's moral points, in conclusion, to the little that is to be envied in the lot of those whom fortune places in the favour of princes; his own book perhaps furnishes the strongest confirmation which he could give of this principle. [We must assist the Reviewer of these important memoirs by making a few additional extracts, which we think give the best answer to some of his objections, and sustain the valuable character which the situation of the author would induce us to anticipate. Ed. L. & S. R.] "I have now finished my relation of all the material transactions wherein I was immediately concerned; and though I can never forget my obligations to the kindest of masters, I have been too long behind the scenes, I have had too near a view of the machinery of a court, to envy any man either the power of a minister, or the favour of princes. The constant anxiety, and frequent mortifications, which accompany ministerial employments, are tolerably well understood; but the world is totally unacquainted with the situation of those whom fortune has selected to be the constant attendants and companions of royalty, who partake of its domestic amusements and social happiness. But I must not lift up the veil; and shall only add, that no man can have a clear conception how great personages pass their leisure hours, who has not been a prince's governor, or a king's favourite." [The following is a sketch of the Duke of Newcastle, of political celebrity.] "Ambition, fear, and jealousy, are his prevailing passions. In the midst of prosperity and apparent happiness, the slightest disappointment, or any imaginary evil, will, in a moment, make him miserable: his mind can never be composed; his spirits are always agitated. Yet this constant ferment, which would wear out and destroy any other man, is perfectly agreeable to his constitution; he is at the very perfection of health when his fever is at the greatest height. His character is full of inconsistencies; the man would be thought very singular who differed as much from the rest of the world as he differs from himself." "Talk with him concerning public or private business of a nice or delicate nature, he will be found confused, irresolute, continually rambling from the subject, contradicting himself almost every instant. Hear him speak in parliament, his manner is ungraceful, his language barbarous, his reasoning inconclusive. At the same time, he labours through all the confusion of a debate without the least distrust of his own abilities; fights boldly in the dark; never gives up the cause; nor is he ever at a loss either for words or argument." "Upon the whole, he seems tolerably well qualified to act a second part, but wants both spirit and capacity to be first in command; neither has he the smallest particle of that elevation of mind, or of that dignity of behaviour, which command respect, and characterise the great statesman. p. 11—14. [The following is the character he gives of Mr. Pitt, afterwards Earl of Chatham :] "He has a peculiar clearness and facility of expression; and has an eye as significant as his words. He is not always a fair or conclusive reasoner, but commands the passions with sovereign authority; and to inflame or captivate a popular assembly, is a consummate orator. He has courage of every sort, cool or impetuous, active or deliberate. At present he is the guide and champion of the people: whether he will long continue their friend seems somewhat doubtful. But if we may judge from his natural disposition, as it has hitherto shown. itself, his popularity and zeal for public liberty will have the same period; for he is imperious, violent, and implacable; impatient even of the slightest contradiction; and, under the mask of patriotism, has the despotic spirit of a tyrant. However, though his political sins are black and dangerous, his private character is irreproachable; he is incapable of a treacherous or ungenerous action; and in the common offices of life is justly esteemed a man of veracity and a man of honour." p. 15-16. [He draws the following comparison between the talents of Mr. Pitt and Charles Townshend, who had been made only Treasurer of the Chamber.] "Both had fine natural parts; both were capable of great application; which was the greater master of abuse could not easily be determined; and if there was something more awful and compulsive in Pitt's oratory, there was more acuteness and more wit in Charles Townshend's." [Of the noted Earl of Bute, he says:] "He had been a lord of the bed-chamber to the late prince; has a good person, fine legs, and a theatrical air of the greatest importance. There is an extraordinary appearance of wisdom, both in his look and manner of speaking; for whether the subject be serious or trifling, he is equally pompous, slow, and sententious. Not contented with being wise, he would be thought a polite scholar, and a man of great erudition: but has the misfortune never to succeed, except with those who are exceeding ignorant; for his historical knowledge is chiefly taken from tragedies, wherein he is very deeply read; and his classical learning extends no farther than a French translation. The late Prince of Wales, who was not over nice in the choice of ministers, used frequently to say that Bute was a fine showy man, who would make an excellent ambassador in a court where there was no business. Such was his Royal Highness's opinion of the noble earl's political abilities; but the sagacity of the princess dowager has discovered other accomplishments, of which the prince her husband may not, perhaps, have been the most competent judge." p. 38-39. [Of Lord Anson he gives the following estimate.] Lord Anson was also dismissed from the admiralty; a violent clamour having been raised against him, of which he was no more deserving than of the high reputation which preceded it. "He was, in reality, a good sea officer, and had gained a con siderable victory over the French in the last war: but nature had not endowed him with those extraordinary abilities which had been so liberally granted him by the whole nation. Now, on the contrary, he is to be allowed no merit whatsoever; the loss of Minorca is to be imputed to his misconduct, though many were equally, some infinitely more blameable: his slowness in business is to be called negligence; and his silence and reserve, which formerly passed for wisdom, takes the name of dullness, and of want of capacity." p. 85. [When George II. grew averse to his ministers,-not that he had any fault to find with their measures, but because he conceived an inveterate personal dislike to them,-Lord Waldegrave, having occasion to wait on him, met with a very gracious reception. The king explained to the Earl very freely the situation in which he stood with his ministers, his dislike to them, and his determination to get rid of them. The Earl gives this account of the interview :] "He then expressed his dislike to Pitt and Lord Temple in very strong terms; the substance of which was, that the secre tary made him long speeches, which possibly might be very fine, but were greatly beyond his comprehension; and that his letters were affected, formal, and pedantic. That as to Temple, he was so disagreeable a fellow, there was no bearing him; that when he attempted to argue, he was pert, and sometimes insolent; that when he meant to be civil, he was exceeding troublesome, and that in the business of his office he was totally ignorant.-He next questioned me concerning the Duke of Newcastle; to which I answered, that though he was no longer a minister, it was very apparent a great majority in both houses of parliament still considered him as their chief, and were ready to act under his direction. That some of these might possibly be attached to him by a principle of gratitude; but the greater number were his followers, because they had reason to expect that he would soon be in a condition to reward their services. That as to his Grace himself, he was quite doubtful what part he should take, being equally balanced between fear on one side, and love of power on the other. To this the king replied, "I know he is apt to be afraid, therefore go and encourage him; tell him I do not look upon myself as king, whilst I am in the hands of these scoundrels; that I am determined to get rid of them at any rate; that I expect assistance, and that he may depend on my favour and protection." ARTICLE VI. Letter to the Reviewers of "Italy; including an Answer to a Pamphlet entitled "Observations upon the Calumnies and Misrepresentations in Lady Morgan's Italy." By LADY MORGAN. [From the New Monthly Magazine—Oct. 1821.] "Being divided between the necessity to say something of myself, and my own laziness to undertake so awkward a task."-Pope. "Mere rogues..........but they are friends. One is his printer in disguise, and keeps His press in an hollow tree, where, to conceal him, Who in an angle, where the ants inhabit, (The emblems of his labour,) will sit curl'd Whole days and nights, and work his eyes out." Time Vindicated, B. Jonson. It has been started as an objection to my work on Italy, that it had no Preface. Many reasons might be assigned for the omission :—one may suffice-I had nothing to say. 'Talking of the Alps and Apennines, The Pyrenean and the river Po,' I had exhausted even my woman's garrulity; and was as weary of my pen, at the end of my two quarto volumes, as I had been of my carriage, at the conclusion of my two years' journey. Even still I should be unable to furnish forth' a preface, had not the inditers of daily criticism supplied me with the necessary de quoi, by the blundering manner in which they have performed their task of filling up the interval, which has accidentally occurred, between the publication of my work, and the quaterly and monthly apparition of the All hails hereafter.' It is now, I believe, twelve or fourteen years since the supposed literary organ of Government gave the word to all subaltern scribes to bear down upon and attack whatever I should print and the public will allow that the ragamuffins' of this ancient Pistol' (who, by the bye, like Sir John Falstaff, has 'Misused the King's Press most have done their spiriting' faithfully, if not 'gently.' They have attacked me in every point where the woman was most susceptible, the author most sensitive. They have attacked my public profession, and private character, my person, my principles, my country, my friends, my kindred, even my dress. They have done every thing to injure, but-praise me; for, after all, 'It is their slaver kills, and not their bite.'Hitherto, I have been, for the interests perhaps of truth and of literature, something too loth to stir at these indignities.' Even now, if come forth among my nameless assailants, I swear by yea and nay,' or any other pretty oath, 'tis more in fun than fear-less in spite than sport. The shafts they have long let fly at me, and all that is dearest to me, have been shot from masked batteries, and dipped in double venom.' The arrow with which I return their assault, will fall poisonless, though not perhaps pointless. Mine, I trust, will be true lady's archery, fair, though irregular; my aim taken in the garish eye of day-my name announced-my cognizance blazoned -my device known-and my heart worn, as it always has been, 'On my sleeve, for (even) daws to peck at.' Thus simply armed and frankly avowed, unmasked, unshielded but by truth, alone in the midst of my ambushed foes, I take my ground; And as I truly fight, so help me heaven.' The accidental circumstance of being born and educated in a land stamped with the impress of six centuries of degradation-the natural tendency of a female temperament to a prompt, uncalculating sympathy-and the influence of that stirring quality called indignation (as often a constitutional as a moral affection)-gave a direction to my feelings, and a colour to my mind and writings, which from my "youth upwards" have remained unchanged and indelible. |